About

Sonya Malunda
Principal

Sonya Malunda is President Emerita of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), a consortium of 14 private liberal arts colleges in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, and Wisconsin that advances the academic and professional success of its members’ faculty, students, and staff. She also is Senior Advisor at Peterson Rudgers Group (PRG), a consulting firm focused on strategic planning, vision and goal setting, communications, leadership, governance, change processes, and organizational development for higher education and related institutions. At the ACM, PRG, and throughout her career, Sonya has demonstrated her ability to bring diverse groups together to find common ground, collaborate toward goals, and achieve transformative results.

Please click → above to read more

As the ACM’s eighth president for seven years, Sonya led a momentous period in the consortium’s 65-year history. She worked collaboratively with the 14 presidents and with academic deans to develop and launch a new strategic plan to propel the organization through a new era for higher education. She also advanced student learning and development by expanding the ACM’s strategic collaborations with external organizations, including the Big Ten Academic Alliance, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Common Purpose, a leadership development organization based in the United Kingdom. Additionally, she increased professional development programming for faculty and staff, supported by new, multi-year grants from major foundations. The new initiatives created under Sonya’s leadership include a Student Leadership Summit for ACM students, an Academic Leadership Fellows Program for budding faculty leaders, and significant programming and professional development in diversity, equity, and inclusion. During her tenure, Sonya also significantly reduced the consortium’s operating expenses and increased its endowment.

Before joining ACM in 2017, Sonya spent nearly 20 years leading community engagement initiatives at the University of Chicago. She was instrumental in securing the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side through the community engagement campaign she led. As Senior Associate Vice President for Civic Engagement, Sonya helped architect the university’s distinct model of civic engagement, which leveraged the institution as an anchor for local neighborhoods and a global center for education, research, and innovation. One of her specializations was developing pipeline programs to help more students access a four-year college degree. These included a range of counseling, education, and funding programs that empowered many minority and low-income students to become the first in their families to attend college and an initiative that helped Chicago high school students prepare for, access, and succeed in top-tier colleges and universities.

While at UChicago, Sonya spearheaded the creation of the university’s Civic Leadership Academy, a six-month leadership development program for emerging leaders in local government and nonprofit organizations, facilitated by UChicago faculty and civic practitioners. She also developed the Community Programs Accelerator, which pairs university students with nonprofits on concrete projects that advance their missions. As a key figure in creating America’s Urban Campus, a consortium of 21 Chicago-based higher education institutions, she played a pivotal role in elevating the city’s reputation as a hub for higher learning.

Before her roles in higher education, Sonya served as First Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing, helping to create the city’s first affordable housing plan, and held finance positions in the commercial real estate groups at First National Bank of Chicago (now JPMorgan Chase) and Continental Bank of Illinois (now Bank of America).

Throughout her career, Sonya has engaged and built strong alliances and collaborations with diverse constituencies. A seasoned communicator, she has been a frequent institutional spokesperson on complex issues. She has also been a dedicated manager, mentor, and coach to many students and colleagues by advising students and faculty on community activities, helping individuals advance in their careers, and contributing to the success of those around her. In all her activities, she works to foster a culture of inclusivity, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.

Sonya’s passion for intellectual challenge and collaborative engagement was nurtured as an economics major at Spelman College. In recent years, she received a distinguished alumnae award from Spelman’s Chicago chapter for her commitment to the college and students from the Chicago area. She also earned a master’s in business administration in finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management with a concentration in real estate and organizational behavior. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and a past fellow in Harvard University’s Program for State and Local Government Leaders. She also sits on numerous nonprofit boards and civic organizations. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, she is married to Dr. E. Charles Lampley and has two adult children.